Swinging your legs at home are effective ways to work out your quads and calf muscles. How to build legs quickly: the best programs

Do you want to build powerful leg muscles? Use the expert's invaluable advice on squat and deadlift days!

If asked to pick the most valuable advice for leg workouts, I would stick with "Don't skip leg workout days!"

Many beginners may think, "why train your legs when the bench is empty?" And even if you have reached the stage where the need for leg training is no longer in doubt, you may still have questions about working out the lower body. I have selected nine tips that I think are the most often overlooked.

1. Training your legs can't be easy

Most bodybuilders know that leg workout is the hardest workout of the week in the literal sense of the word, due to the impressive weight and high volume of load required to work out large muscle groups. Ardent fans of strength training are familiar with the prayers to the porcelain gods after particularly hard leg workouts.

On the other hand, casual amateur athletes often look at leg workouts in the same way as arm workouts, but without the benefit of the T-shirt look. They will happily skip a couple of leg workouts.

Leg workout is the hardest workout of the week, due to the impressive weight and high volume of load required to work out large muscle groups

“Leg training days are completely different from other body parts,” said Mike Hildebrand, director of fitness at Axiom Club in Boyes, Idaho, three-time Mens Physicist and one of the Dymatize sponsored athletes. - A day of leg training requires special psychological and physical preparation. When it comes time to swing my legs, I prepare myself for an hour-long battle. I accept the fact that on the day of leg training, you need to go far out of your comfort zone, otherwise you will not have the desired progress. "

You can train your legs like any other part of the body, or you can give your legs a hell of a load. If you don't feel it after your workout, you haven't worked hard enough! I'm not saying you should crawl out of the gym, but climbing stairs should be a real challenge!

The hardest and most exhausting workout of the week requires complete mental and physical readiness. This means that you must rest well before training, eat well, and accept that will help you keep moving forward with all your might. You need to mentally tune in to the fact that the next workout will be better than the previous one. And do not hope that at the end of the workout you will have enough strength to train any other muscle group!

2. The leg press will never replace the squat

For every bodybuilder who loves to train his legs and does regularly, there are a dozen athletes who hate them. I know because I myself am. I'm looking for any excuse not to squat. A favorite excuse is to convince yourself that you are as good as the squat. After all, the same muscle groups are involved and I can lift a ton of iron!

Of course, just because knee and hip flexion occurs, the leg press does not become equal to the squat. “There is no doubt that squats are more stressful and include more muscle fibers than leg presses,” says Hildebrand. "Squats require the entire kinematic chain to work with all muscles working at the same time, which makes them the best in terms of functionality, mass development and strength."

Squats give you more hormone release than platform presses, no matter how many sets you do.

Hildebrand points out that squatting at the appropriate volume and intensity optimizes the natural secretion of anabolic hormones. After multi-joint exercises in the blood of athletes, a higher level of growth hormone is noted and than after exercises that load less muscle mass. There is a direct relationship between the amount of testosterone produced and the amount of muscle mass involved in the movement.

While the battle between free weight squats and machine squats has ended in favor of free weights, you shouldn't be limited to just the "high" barbell squat, which is often referred to as bodybuilder squat. help to shift the focus from the glutes to the quadriceps by shifting the center of gravity forward.

When squatting low-bar powerlifters, you lower the barbell down to the level of the rear deltas, not the traps. This forces you to lean forward more and shifts your center of gravity slightly. You will immediately be able to take more weight only by increasing the involvement of the glutes and muscles of the hamstrings and less activation of the lower quadriceps.

Other useful options for free weight squats are sumo squats, etc.

3. Do not squat with your heels on the board or pancakes

Have you ever wondered why a guy would squat with heels on a board or small pancakes? With the heels raised, the center of gravity shifts slightly forward, therefore, the knees go more forward during the transition to the lower position. This shifts the focus of the exercise to the lower quadriceps. But the story doesn't end there. At the same time, the load on the cartilage and ligaments of the knee joints increases.

If your knees are okay, it doesn't matter - at least not yet. But almost all experienced powerlifters suffer from knee pain, so knowing safer squatting options will definitely not hurt.

“During squats, the load on the knee joint is already very high. Placing your heels on the board can do more harm than good. - says Brooke Erickson, professional fitness model IFBB. "Biomechanics plays a major role in the longevity of your joints, no matter how healthy they are at the moment."

By far the best way to assess your technique in terms of knee safety is to place your feet on the floor or on a machine platform and check during the descending phase to see if your knees are beyond the imaginary plane that runs through your toes. (When doing, this plane is at a slight angle).

If your knees extend beyond the imaginary plane, you are putting unwanted stress on the joint. Move your legs. You will most likely need to lift them higher on the platform or set them aside for other exercises, platform lifts, or so you don't cross the plane of your toes. When applied to lunges, this means that you just have to take a slightly wider step.

4. Change the position of the feet to shift the focus of the exercise

Many of us pay little attention to the position of our feet during leg exercises. We put them somewhere between the width of the hips and the width of the shoulders and turn them slightly outward. Undoubtedly, this is a solid foundation from which to push off.

But many leg exercises, especially machines, allow for a wider range of leg positions. Wide or narrow, high or low, or even exactly centered. Does it matter? One hundred percent!

By placing your feet too low on the platform, you run the risk of running out of knees beyond the plane of the toes. With this position of the feet, the load on the muscles around the knee joint increases and the load on the gluteal muscles decreases. This leads to more quads and less glute activation.

Movements with a wide position of the feet work out the inner surface more strongly; on the contrary, a narrow position of the legs more effectively loads the muscles of the outer surface of the thigh

Likewise, lifting your feet higher increases the degree of flexion and extension in the hip joints and decreases the range of motion in the knees. Consequently, you train your glutes and upper posterior muscles more effectively. Remember, this shift in emphasis is very relative. You cannot completely isolate one muscle.

Movements with a wide position of the feet work out the inner surface more strongly; on the contrary, a narrow position of the legs more effectively loads the muscles of the outer surface of the thigh. However, you've just learned about a ton of leg exercise options that are especially useful when working on machines.

5. Squat depth matters

We've all seen a guy who, before squats, hangs a ton of pancakes on the barbell, and drops a few centimeters. Perhaps the ability to hold an impressive weight flatters his vanity, but muscle fibers will not agree with him. The so-called partial reps do not involve all of the muscle fibers in the quadriceps, let alone the glutes. You just don't work out a muscle completely if you only do half or a quarter repetitions.

Deep squats work harder on the glutes and hamstrings than shallow squats. Try to lower yourself to a point where your hips are parallel to the floor and your knees are bent at about 90 degrees.

“Depth of movement is very important for the development of the legs and buttocks,” says Hildebrand. - There is only one way to do squats: go down completely. Partial squats are equal to partial results when it comes to creating harmoniously balanced leg muscles. If you want to create a flawless body, every centimeter is worth its weight in gold. "

Think of your glutes and hamstrings as working hard to control your descent, but only really explode at the bottom. Shallow squats train, first of all, the quads, but not even all the quads, but some of them, depends on the depth of the squat.

The rule applies not only to squats, but also to other multi-joint movements with knee flexion. Of course, you need to start with less weight and perform these movements in the full range of motion in order to fully develop your legs. But you will definitely develop them.

6. Use special exercises for the back of the thigh

Some people think that squats and other leg extension movements are enough to pump the hamstrings. Meanwhile, research shows that although the back surface is involved in squats, the load on it is very limited.

“Specific exercises for back mass and growth are important and must be included in a weekly leg routine,” says Erickson. "Additional exercises for the back surface are good not only in terms of aesthetics, but also for the development of speed-strength indicators and the prevention of injuries to the knees, muscles of the thigh and lower back."

Most of us are familiar with the C group of exercises aimed at the muscles of the back surface. They can be performed while sitting, standing, lying down, with support, or alternately with one leg. They are all good for strengthening the back of the thigh.

Erikson knows that backside injuries are very unpleasant. When the muscle group is relatively weak (compared to the quadriceps), there is a high risk of experiencing anterior cruciate ligament injury or muscle strain. To improve stability and health of the knees, the quads (antagonists of the flexor muscles in relation to the knee joint) need to be stronger in a ratio of about 3: 2 (they are stronger because they are used more and more often in daily activities).

You can figure this out by measuring strength: if your maximum leg extension (single-joint movement for quads) is 10 reps with 70kg, you should be able to do the same 10 reps with 45kg of prone leg curl. If you can't bend your legs 10 times, your knees are more vulnerable to injury. At the very least, you should be aware of this in order to be able to focus your efforts on the weak link.

Because it is perfectly normal for women to have a lower quadriceps-to-posterior strength ratio - and for female athletes, this ratio is even lower - they are even more at risk of muscle strain and anterior cruciate ligament injury.

FYI, here's how the back muscles work during the squat: By controlling the downward phase as the hips drop to the bottom of the squat, the quadriceps muscle fibers stretch and the back muscles contract. The deeper you go, the more muscle fibers of the back surface are included in the work.

In addition, on the hack squat platform, in the squat machine, in the recumbent squat, and even in the leg press, you can place your feet very high. This reduces the activation of the quadriceps and increases the load on the glutes and flexors. But you still need to add specific hamstring exercises.

7. Do not forget about the movements in the hip joints

You are most likely familiar with the leg curls mentioned earlier. What they have in common is flexion at the knee joints.

However, the posterior muscles can be worked with movements in both the knee and the hip joints, and you can focus on the upper regions of these muscles with movements in which you flex the pelvis. The best way to do this is to incorporate it into your training program. The emphasis here is not only on the upper back surface, but also on the buttocks, so tighten your buttocks harder while standing.

The Romanian deadlift is more technical than you might think. Keep your back straight or slightly arched. The knees should remain bent at a very slight angle. Hold the barbell close to your feet and do not try to lower it completely to the floor. Mid-calf or so is ideal. The Romanian deadlift is performed by leaning forward and pushing the glutes back so that the bar should never touch the floor.

8. Standing on straight legs is not an exercise for the back of the thigh.

Don't be confused with Romanian deadlock. These are completely different movements.

Romanian dead

Although the deadlift on straight legs also puts some strain on the back muscles, this exercise is primarily for the lower back, not the leg muscles, and the technique is different, even if the names are somewhat similar. There is no rounding of the lower back in the Romanian deadlift, because you bend at the hip joints, not at the lower back, and the bar is close to the lower leg. And you don't go very low (depends on flexibility).

When viewed from the side, the difference becomes more apparent. Improper use of the lower back exercise puts the intervertebral discs at serious risk of injury. During the Romanian deadlift, your discs are not as vulnerable because you do not bend at the lower back.

9. Swing your calves while standing

Not all calf exercises work equally well on the two main muscles in this area - the soleus and the calf.

While most calf exercises are done with straight legs, bent-knee exercises are very different. Because the calf muscle is anchored above the knee joint, it cannot contract at full capacity when the knee is bent, and the soleus takes the lion's share of the load. In exercises with straight legs, both muscles are included in the game. Consequently, lifting on toes on straight legs (for example, standing up or lifting) works out the gastrocnemius muscle, while it does not cope with this task.

For aesthetics, most powerlifters aim to build the calf rather than the soleus. So if you only plan on doing one lower leg exercise, make sure to do it with straight legs.

A couple of sets will tone the body and begin to knock energy out of the muscles.

To perform the exercise, spread your legs shoulder-width apart, and then put one forward, while bending at the knee joints.

You do not need to go down to the floor itself - your front leg should be as perpendicular to the floor as possible.

Return to starting position and lunge with the other leg. Your task is to do 3 sets of 20 reps.

Tip: Since we focus on training for men, it would be nice to use weights. The ideal option is dumbbells. To get started, use a weight of no more than 5 kg.

Side lunges and back lunges

The step should be as wide as possible. Everything else is done, as in the previous exercise, with the only difference that you take a step left and right, and not forward and backward.

Do 20 reps and 3 sets. Weights are welcome.

Back lunges. Another variation of the exercise, only this time the load will be on completely different muscles, since we need to work out and tone up.

You need to take a wide step back and shift your center of gravity to your back foot.

We keep our hands on the belt if weights are not used.

Bulgarian lunges

Diversify your workouts with Bulgarian lunges - the exercise pattern remains the same, but you put your back leg on a stool, sofa or bench.

Squats regular and on one leg

The next exercise is squats.

A classic of the genre that the vast majority of beginners do wrong.

Place your feet shoulder-width apart. Then start lowering and focus on this moment: the pelvis should not just be lowered, but taken back. In this case, the emphasis is solely on the heels.

Try to keep your back straight. Put your hands in front of you.

For men, the rep range should not fall below 30. The number of sets is 3-4, the latter can be done to failure.

So the positive results of training will come faster.

Be sure to add one-legged squats to your workout routine. If the exercise is not immediately given, use a support for the non-working leg.

Glute bridge

The next exercise is the gluteal bridge. We lie on our backs, spread our legs a little to the sides. arms outstretched at the sides.

We alternately lower and raise the buttocks. To make it harder for yourself, you can do an exercise with a raised leg, as shown in the photo.

Deadlift

This exercise will help solve the problem of thin legs. We take dumbbells in our hands and, holding them in our hands below, we bend forward in the lower back.

We go down to the middle of the lower leg and return to the starting position, because our main task is to pump the hips, and not increase the load on the back.

Calf Raises

And walking on your toes. These simple tricks can help build your calf muscles, which tend to be harder to train than others.

Stand on your toes and walk in this position around the apartment for at least seven minutes. Time can be extended indefinitely.

You can also stand on a stand so that your heels do not touch the floor, and first stand on your toes, then lower down.

Mahi

This well-known exercise can be performed in any comfortable position: standing, lying in the knee-elbow position.

For complication, use resistance bands. We do 3-4 circles 20 times.

And the final exercise of the complex, aimed at. Place yourself a rug, lie on your back and bend your knees.

Then lift one of them and straighten it so that the sock looks away from you. Fix the raised leg in this position.

Make sure that it remains level and that the angle between your leg and the floor does not exceed 30-40 degrees.

Then lift your lower back slightly off the floor.

In this exercise, it is not the number of repetitions that is very important, but their frequency. Work until a burning sensation in the gluteal muscles, then rest for one and a half minutes and another 2 sets.

This is enough for the first day of training. You should not immediately plunge into a frantic training rhythm and force yourself to sweat every day.

Three days a week is enough for you, and in some cases even two. So, you have rested the day and are ready for new exercises.

Here's what you need to do:

1. Pick up your weights
2. Rise on your toes on one leg first.
3. Changed leg
4. Doing 20 reps and 3 sets

This exercise is popularly called a spring.

At first glance, the above exercises may seem simple.

You might even think that this will not be enough for you. But no - high-quality muscle work and the longed-for burning sensation are fully provided for you.

Alternate the complexes as you like best, but never dwell on the same exercises, otherwise you will not achieve effective growth.

Tip: there should always be a warm-up. Neglect her, and injury is assured. As Schwarzenegger said: "It is better to warm up without training than training without warm up." And you can definitely trust his authority in this matter!

A few words about diet and combination of sports, where legs are actively involved

Finally, I would like to say a little about. It doesn't matter where you work out, at home or in the gym - any sport involves the use of quality fuel.

For humans, the source of energy is food. And if you are focused on the result, then you still have to familiarize yourself with it.

So, the diet should be balanced. You need rich sources of protein and carbohydrates.

To pump the legs of both, you will need a fair amount, because calories will be burned very quickly.

During training, your best friends should be (especially buckwheat), mushrooms, nuts, and also legumes.

Plus some types of dairy products.

Alternate meals and try to adjust your schedule so that each meal is at the same time.

Well, switch to fractional meals: it is better to eat 5 times a day in small portions than to push a mountain of food into yourself in the morning, at lunchtime and for dinner.

Better not only for overall health but also for athletic performance.

Advice: if possible, buy a calcium-rich vitamin complex at the pharmacy. Pumping your legs puts a lot of stress on your joints and bones. If you are not sure of the strengths of your body, it is better to once again protect yourself and be insured.

Hello everyone. In this issue on the agenda we have the largest and strongest muscle group - LEGS. Today we will discuss how to quickly pump up your legs, how to avoid injuries, what to pay more attention to: we will analyze the anatomy, exercises, their technique and performance features, various secrets, chips gained over the years of training, and finally I will write you specific training programs based on this course ... Well, let's go!

ANATOMY OF THE LEGS

Friends, I certainly understand too lazy to read, etc. but in order to know how to swing your legs correctly, you need to figure out how they work, how they work. This applies not only to the legs, but also to other muscle groups, moreover, everything that interests you in life!

In short, LEGS are conventionally divided into three heads:

1. QUADRICEPS(located in front, the function is to unbend the leg at the knee).
2. BICEPS HIPS(located behind, the function is to bend the leg at the knee).
3. SHINS(located behind the legs, under the knee).

This is what interests us. It is these 3 heads that we will train. This is what bodybuilding calls leg workout!

QUADRICEPS- (the word QUADRO, means - four, so you can also find the name quadriceps muscle of the reed). This muscle group is located on the front of the thigh. As you probably already guessed, the quadriceps consists of 4 HEADS! This is why LEGS ARE THE LARGEST MUSCLE GROUP! Main function: extension of the legs at the knee joint.

BICEPS HIPS - (biceps femoris) she located behind (under the buttocks) as you probably already guessed, it consists of 2 HEADS!

TWO BASIC FUNCTIONS:

1. Knee flexion
2. Extension of the trunk with the lower leg fixed during movement

OUTPUT: In order to develop large biceps of the hips, it is important to perform not only the curls of the legs while lying in the simulator, but also the extension of the trunk (but the legs are fixed at the same time), i.e. This is deadlift, deadlift).

SHINS - are behind the knee, consist of two muscles: the calf muscles (calves) and the CAMBALOUS MUSCLES (these are the muscles that are located under the calves). Main function: extension of the foot relative to the lower leg. But here it is also worth considering the fact that CAVIARS work only when the legs are straightened at the knee joint, and the soleus muscles work only when the legs are bent at the knees.

OUTPUT: The lower leg should be trained both sitting and standing in simulators. It is impossible either there or there, without fail and here and there!

Now, another equally important question that I would like to touch upon in this topic. Some bodybuilding gurus, beachgoers and other people claim or just simply KNOW for leg workouts, they say I'm not interested in my legs, or I fell into swinging my legs, etc. in this spirit.

To swing or not swing your legs?

I suggest dividing leg training into PROS and CONS. Then analyze and deliver the final DIAGNOSIS.

PROS OF TRAINING LEGS

First, with proper leg training (i.e., lower body), you will have a strong bottom (i.e. strong legs), which means your upper body will tend to do the same. Those. this is a kind of full-fledged aesthetic appearance of the athlete, because both the top and the bottom are developed.

Since we are now discussing bodybuilding, this is one of the most important benefits. There are many others that are also useful for other sports (especially martial arts), but now we will not talk about this. This is enough!

CONS OF TRAINING LEGS

Visual effect, because when your legs are inflated, the lower the upper body appears(width of arms, shoulders).

Risk of joint injury, i.e. There are exercises, such as squats, that, with proper working weights, can contribute to the destruction of cartilage tissue. Therefore, it is important to approach the training of the legs correctly, do a warm-up run for 5-10 minutes, then warm up (pre-tire, etc.). There is still a risk.

There is also a chance to miss out on bone growth in length. Basically, this disadvantage is for young people, up to 20-25 years old. As a rule, it is up to this age that bones can grow in length. And if a young individual overdoes with heavy weights in squats (which is often in order to show how cool I am in front of girls), then this can slow down your growth in length.

CONCLUSIONS: In my opinion, it is imperative to train your legs! But this should be done with extreme caution (as I said, warm up, do preliminary fatigue of the knee joint, perform the exercises skillfully and smoothly, without sudden jerks, etc. and all in order not to damage the joints). In addition, you need to train your legs evenly., i.e. all THREE HEADS (quads, hamstrings and lower legs) in order to make it look athletic and so that in the future you do not have to close the gap.

Most Effective Leg Exercises

1. Barbell Shoulder Squats
2. Leg press in the simulator
3. Seated Leg Extension
4. Deadlift
5. Seated Calf Raises

The entire technique for performing the above exercises has already been described in another article, see below.

But today we will go through a new one, because a number of new nuances have appeared, the chips about which you must know!

SITTINGS

The main exercise for building leg muscles, and not only for the legs, but for the whole body! This basic hard, powerful exercise involves many of the large muscles in our body. No other exercise can compare with this exercise in terms of gains in strength and muscle mass.

Barbell squats, however, are not the healthiest knee exercises. Too large weights, improper exercise technique, poor-quality warm-up, jerking and much more can lead to inflammation and pain in the knee joints. Therefore, as I already said, you need to warm up very carefully: do a jog for 5-10 minutes, perhaps do preliminary fatigue (more on this later) and then start squats. And then pay attention to how you need to perform them:

First you need to squat with your own weight of about 20-30 repetitions (or with an empty bar), then throw 2 pancakes of 10-20 kg each (either 40 or 60 kg will come out), it depends on what kind of working weight you have. So they threw it on, did about 15-20 repetitions. (It was a warm-up.) Next, throw on more weights and do it for 8-12 reps (this is a kind of lead-in). After that, you can carry out working approaches. Always like this! Remember, these numbers are just a guideline for you, adjust to yourself. It is better to make more warming up and supplying ones, and then 2-3 workers. Why not warm up properly, get a serious injury to the knee joint and forget about sports for a long time!

Okay, we figured out the most important thing. What's next, how do you squat?

There are bodybuilding and powerlifting squats. Those. they differ significantly from each other in the mechanics of execution.

1. Bodybuilding - they use the quadriceps most of all (let's conditionally call them isolating).
2. But powerlifting - on the contrary, more power, involve a lot of muscles (let's call them basic).

So what are the differences? A the differences lie in small details , which an ordinary person is unlikely to notice, but still this: positioning of legs, depth of squatting and position of the barbell on the shoulders.

We will not consider powerlifting squats especially deeply, because we are interested in bodybuilding.

In general, the main difference here is that the strength man who performs the squat strives to take an incredibly large weight, therefore he lowers the WEIGHT of the barbell lower (on the shoulder blades) in order to lower the center of gravity, after which he puts his legs wide in order to include the gluteal muscles. Then he slightly bends forward, and prepares to remove the bar from the racks, and begins the squat. Ultimately, all this technique allows him to take a lot of weight, which is not possible in bodybuilding.

Bodybuilding squats

Now we will discuss in order the important points of bodybuilding squats, namely:

1. How will the barbell lie on your shoulders?
2. What is the stance of the legs?
3. What is the depth of the squat?
4. What should be the position of the arms (when squatting)?
5. What should be the position of the heels (when squatting)?
6. How to breathe properly while squatting?

1. The bar should be high and straight on the trapezoid. So that you don't lean too forward. Look strictly straight (forward to the mirror or whatever) in no case up or down, clearly straight! This will stabilize the body and make movement mechanics easier for you. And if you look down and up, you will easily lose your balance and doom: D.

2.The stance of the legs is also special here.. Feet should not be set wide (as in powerlifting), here feet should be set relatively narrow. Landmark - shoulder width apart. Turn the socks about 45 degrees. (a kind of right angle should form as the socks are looking at each other).

3. The depth of the squat is parallel. I do not advise to lower it below the parallel, tk. the risk of injury to the knee joint is higher than with parallel.

4. The position of the hands should be as you wish. Usually slightly wider than shoulder width. In general, not narrow, but not wide, choose for yourself so that you feel comfortable holding and controlling the bar.

5. Position of the heels. Your feet should rest firmly on the floor so that your position is stable. There are a number of their own nuances and tricks. Let's talk about it.

If people who have poor flexibility in the ankle. They are not comfortable pushing off the floor with their heels, so they lean forward slightly and push with their toes. This is a gross mistake. In no case should you do this, your knees should not go beyond the socks. Now I will explain everything. You may have seen people tucking pancakes (or some kind of surface) under their heels - IT'S HAPPY THIS OCCASION. They lack flexibility, they put some kind of surface under their heels, and began to perform correctly and comfortably (this is a kind of TREATMENT). So if you are one of these people, now you know how to deal with it.

6. Breathing, as in almost all exercises - exhalation with effort. Those. for example, in a squat, when we sit down, we breathe in, and when we stand up, we breathe out.

Load Vector Secrets (Stop Position)

Loudly said, secrets. However, these tips will help you focus on one or another part of the leg muscles when squatting. Namely, the chips are in the position of your stops:

1. The more you turn the socks to the sides, the more the buttocks are involved in the work.
2. The wider you put your legs, the more the adductors of the legs + buttocks will turn on.
3. The narrower you place your legs, the more the emphasis is on the quadriceps.

LEG PRESS

The next thing that comes after the squat is the leg press. It is also a basic exercise. The exercise is not as effective as squats, but it is still very effective and therefore it is in the 2nd place in the ranking. In this exercise, one joint (knee) works, and the hip joint also works, but very passively due to the fact that our body is in a supine position. That is why this fixation allows us to perform complete isolation on the quadriceps.

By this I want to say, if before that you did squats with large weights, and nothing but ass did not grow, then you should think about this exercise. Because the main focus is on the quadriceps. And this is exactly what we need.

Now we will discuss in order the important points of the leg press, namely:

1. What is the position of the feet on the platform?
2. What is the position of the body in the supine position?
3. What is the position of the heels on the platform?
4. Straighten your legs all the way or stick to the knee bend at the top?
5. How to breathe correctly?

1. Standing feet shoulder-width apart. There are a number of its own nuances that we will now discuss:

• The more you turn the socks to the sides, the more the adductors and glutes will be involved.
• The closer you put your socks, the more the outer quadriceps will work.
• The higher you place your feet on the platform, the more the quadriceps will work and the smaller the glute.
• The lower you put your feet on the platform, the more your glutes will work.

2.Casing position an important point, pay attention to your body should be tightly pressed against the back of the simulator throughout the exercise. Your buttocks should also be tightly pressed against the back, pay attention the lower you lower the platform, the more the buttocks come off, the greater the danger to the joints and the more the buttocks work.

3. Position of heels as in squats. Push with your heels, not your toes. You cannot tear off your heels, because you will not load the quadriceps, but the buttocks and joints.

4.Do not straighten your legs to the end at the top point. , keep a slight bend at the knees. Especially in order not to load the knee joints, but rather keep the load in the quadriceps.

5. Breathing as always, exhale on effort. Those. lower the platform down - take a breath, raise it up - exhale.

SITTING LEG EXTENSION

This exercise is isolated. Because loads one joint (knee). This is the last exercise in our arsenal that emphasizes the load on the quadriceps.

This exercise can be used:

1. Before training (at the very beginning, in order to warm up the knee joint, before heavy exercises such as squatting, leg press).
2. At the end of the workout (to finish off tired muscles)

In terms of execution technique, it is quite simple. There is nothing even to tell. Except that, once try to perform a superset: sitting leg extension + leg press. I guarantee, you know what I'm talking about, your quads will explode into the trash, which means they will grow! There are some more tricks, for example peak contraction. Those. linger at the top point for a couple of seconds, then a lot of repetitions will not work, and your quadriceps will burn! Also in this simulator you can do drop sets and partial reps. That, in general, is all.

BENDING THE LEGS

It is an isolating exercise, as only one joint (knee) works. The hip and ankle are not included in the work! This exercise develops the back of the thigh well (those that are at the bottom of the buttocks). Usually, this exercise is already finishing off the tired hamstrings at the end of the workout! Again, there is nothing special to say, the main thing is not to do any jerks, jerks and other things like that. Because isolated exercise, do not chase weight (do not cheat) raised the handle up, lower it smoothly, everything is under control.

I don’t know why I did this exercise after lying leg curls. Probably already signed up, however this exercise is basic. It is many times more effective than lying leg curls. It doesn't matter at all, just hammer it. If you are interested in powerful hamstrings, your arsenal is deadlift and prone leg curls. Everything, period.

The main mistake performing this exercise is the work of the back muscles, not the hamstrings. It is vital to learn how to turn off your back, and turn on your hamstrings. If you don’t learn how to do this, the exercise can be excluded from the list!

How do you learn to do this?

This is primarily the execution technique. Start from the correct position, grab the bar with your hands, bend slightly at the lower back. Start the movement by pulling your hips and buttocks back slightly, while the bar slowly lowers along the legs below the knees. (hands are just like hooks, hold the bar no more, do not strain them). In the final position, it should turn out that the barbells stopped below the knees, the pelvis is pulled back. Feel the stretch of the hamstrings in this position, to do this, hold for a couple of seconds. Then return to the starting position smoothly without jerks and jerks. Voil! Heh.

SITTING UP, STANDING AND SITTING

These are TWO BASIC calf muscle development exercises.

LIFTING ON SOCKS, STANDING - performed while standing in the simulator. It predominantly develops the CALF MUSCLES (these are the muscles that are outside).

The position of the toes and heels is parallel. This is the best option, you don't need to trick anything. Maybe try something new for yourself in the future, but not now. Parallel is considered a classic! Then begin to descend as low as possible (stretch your calves as much as possible at the lowest point of the range of motion) in no case reduce the range of motion, because the whole meaning of this exercise is lost.

Use large weights and reps to the maximum! The weights are big, because calves work in everyday life, we walk on the floor, they work, etc. the load on them is constant, because only heavy weights can shock them. And do not count repetitions at all, use them to complete failure.

Seated Calf Raises - This is the second important exercise for the calf muscles. IT develops the soleus muscle (which is located under the gastrocnemius). And as you understand, one cannot be without the other. If it is gastrocnemius, but not soleus, then the shape will not be so impressionable. Therefore, it is important to train both. The sole works only when the knee joint is in a bent position (which means sitting in the simulator). The technique and tips are the same as for standing calf raises!

Leg muscle training programs

Rest between squats - 2 minutes, in other exercises no more than 1 minute!

Initially

1. Squats with a barbell on the shoulders 2x15-20 (warm-up) + 1-2 leads (10-15) + 3-4 workers X6-12

More for beginners

1. Squats with a barbell (warm-up + lead-in) and only then working 4x6-12
2. Leg press 1-2x10-15 (warm-up) + 4x6-12 workers

For intermediate level training

1. Squats with a barbell (warm-up, approach) and only then working 4x6-12
2. Leg press 1-2x10-15, 3-4x6-12
3. Leg extension sitting 4x10-15

For intermediate and advanced level

1. Squats (warm-up, feeding) then working 4x6-12
2. Leg press 1-2x10-15, 4x6-12
3. Leg extension sitting 4x10-20
4. Lying leg curls 4x6-15
5. Calves, standing in a 4x10-20 simulator
6. Calves sitting in a 4x10-20 simulator

For experienced

1. Squat
2. Leg press
3. Seated Leg Extension
4. Deadlift
5. Standing calves
6. Sitting calves

Or you can try this trick for experienced

1. Make preliminary fatigue of leg extension while sitting 4x15-30
2. Leg press
3. Deadlift
4. Standing calves
5. Sitting calves

Or even such a shnyaga for experienced

1. Seated Leg Extensions + Leg Press (Superset)
2. Squats
3. Deadlift
4. Standing calves
5. Sitting calves

In general, you can invent a lot of things. I gave you clear programs, use it for health. If you don't like something, make up for yourself, now you know how to do it!

Best regards, administrator.

At the thought of training the quadriceps, a chill always runs down the back, because real leg training is exhausting and exhausting to the fullest. We will prove that you can enjoy swinging your legs!

Let's be honest: all guys want to know how to quickly pump up their legs so that they admire him and his calves! However, having received the long-awaited knowledge, not everyone is in a hurry to do it. Sometimes you want to skip leg exercises (squats and lunges), if only because they require a lot of energy. But this is precisely the whole point. Real leg workout is exhausting and exhausting to the fullest. This is probably why many people avoid working on their legs, and pay all their attention to and. But training the legs is the most important, because the legs are the foundation of the body. And it is simply impossible to build a house without a reliable foundation. In addition, if the muscles of the legs grow, then other parts of the body grow as well. If you are not serious about weight work, you better move on to another article, for example, oh, here we will talk about building powerful legs. This article will focus primarily on the quads. Here we will tell you how quickly you can pump up your legs, and what training methods are best for this.

We are all different. Some have genetically large hips, they can exercise in partial strength and still have large legs. And someone will have to sweat, pumping up. After squatting, you will feel like a train has run over you. But often, despite all the efforts, there is not much growth. So what's the deal?

Want to pump up your legs quickly? Train to failure

Many do shoulder or chest sets to exhaustion every workout, but cannot handle the same load on their legs. Why it happens? - this is what will help to quickly pump up your legs. And yes, this applies to.

Before you pick up and start squatting, you need to warm up well.

Warm up

We recommend an ellipse or at least 5-8 minutes. Work at a moderate pace, just enough to keep you sweating. Take 10 minutes to stretch immediately afterwards. Remember: you need to stretch not only the quads, but all the muscles of the legs and lower back. To complete the warm-up, do 2-3 sets of 20, 18, 15 repetitions of leg extensions in the machine. Do not push yourself, on the last approach of the warm-up you should be fully prepared for the hard work. Check: the back is firmly pressed against the backrest, the hips are pressed against the seat. And most importantly, do extra quads. If you think that this is too much for a warm-up, do not worry, it should be so. You are now ready to begin your leg pumping exercises.

Squat to Build Your Legs Quickly

Squats are difficult for most people. This exercise only seems easy from the side: just bend your legs, squat down, and then straighten up. But not everything is so simple. Before tackling serious weights, start with lighter weights, just enough resistance to master the correct technique. For example, you will feel a weight of 60 kg, but at the same time it can be controlled.

Your goal is not just to lift the weight in order to quickly build your legs, it is important to concentrate on lifting with your hips. Once you are comfortable with the technique, you can think about the scale. Correct execution is the key to muscle growth and fast leg pumping.

Hack squats and leg press

- Another great exercise that perfectly loads the outer part, quickly pumps the muscles of the legs to impressive sizes. If everything is done correctly, then the upper part will not remain without work. By changing the position of the feet, you can act on all parts of the thigh. Make sure to push the weight with your heels, not your toes. The whole emphasis in this exercise is on leg extension, and the strength lies in straightening the knees, not pushing with the hips. You will feel the difference.

Throughout the exercise, the back and hips should be firmly pressed against the machine. If you neglect this, you can pinch the sciatic nerve, which, most likely, you will never completely heal. When working on your quads, always focus on what you are doing. At the top, try pressing your heels into the platform. However, don't overdo it.

The bench press is great for quickly and bulking your legs. But this does not mean that you will become super strong. The whole point is in the technique: you need to lower the weight until the moment when the pelvis begins to come off the seat. The pelvis should not come off, so stop moving to this point. When pushing the weight up, try to do it with your heels. When doing this, always change the position of your legs. Push with your feet and never cross your arms over your chest to help your legs. If you cannot do the exercise correctly with the chosen weight, it is better to muffle pride, take less weight. And when you get comfortable with the technique, you will already be able to work with any, even huge, weights.

We pump our legs with lunges and extensions in the simulator

Extension is a useful exercise for the legs, both in the warm-up and for working during the main workout. Since this exercise is for growth, you must be extremely careful. It sounds simple, but many athletes are burned out on it. Straighten your entire leg from quads to calves. How you do this is another important question. Extension is done by straining the quadriceps, but also try to pull your feet up at the same time. Make sure your back is flat against the seat and your hips don't come off.

Don't ignore lunges if you want to build your leg muscles quickly. You will be surprised how many people do this exercise incorrectly. With proper execution, a clear line is drawn not only of the quadriceps, but also of the biceps of the thigh, as well, which is especially important for girls.

Protein, creatine, gainer, arginine, BCAA, amino acids will help speed up the process of gaining muscle mass. These supplements are specially formulated for athletes and fitness active people of different fitness levels. Such drugs are completely safe, and their effectiveness has already been proven.

Swing your legs

Basic set

Extended set

Basic set

Basic set

Extended set

Dymatize | Dymatize BCAA 2200 ?

4 tablets each, between meals.

The essential BCAAs in Dymatize BCAA Complex provide muscle cells with the building blocks of essential building blocks. The use of this supplement will not only help preserve and increase muscle tissue in the body, but also optimize the passage of a number of other metabolic processes.

Dymatize | L-carnitine xtreme ?

1-2 capsules daily, mainly with meals.

The fat burner of the world famous manufacturer Dymatize L-carnitine xtreme 60ct is a unique product, its main purpose is to dispose of subcutaneous fat as quickly as possible.

Dymatize | Iso 100?

If necessary, add one serving before bed.

Dymatize Iso 100 728g - a protein blend of the American manufacturer Dymatize, which contains 90% milk protein and whey isolate, supplies the athlete with slow and fast proteins.

TwinLab | Men 's Ultra Multi Daily ?

1 capsule.

Developed specifically for men, the Twinlab Men 's Ultra Multi Daily vitamin and mineral complex contains the necessary set of nutrients and special matrices to improve prostate function, as well as antioxidants and tonic components.

Universal Nutrition | Ultra Whey Pro

1-2 scoops are mixed with 200-250 grams of water or any other liquid.

Universal Nutrition | Amino 2250 ?

2 capsules before and after training.

Universal Nutrition Amino 2250 is a balanced amino acid complex that not only improves metabolism and contributes to muscle growth, but also has a positive effect on the athlete's body as a whole.

Universal Nutrition | Daily formula ?

One tablet immediately before meals (preferably before breakfast).

UN Daily Formula is a highly effective multivitamin and mineral complex that, in addition to the basic elements, contains a set of specially selected enzymes that promote the rapid absorption of essential nutrients.

Real leg workout is exhausting and painful enough. Therefore, solving the question of how to pump up your legs will require long and diligent work. The time and intensity of the classes will depend on the individual characteristics of the organism.

A complete leg workout should include a variety of exercises to pump all muscles evenly. A qualified trainer, listening to your wishes, will select effective leg exercises in the gym in accordance with your level of physical fitness. In addition, it will help determine the optimal duration and frequency of training and explain how to correctly perform the entire set of exercises.

Important! Before embarking on an intense training session, get a medical check-up and consult your doctor.

Features of pumping legs for mass

The legs take on a significant load during training. Therefore, the right place in the set of exercises should be taken by pumping legs to the mass. The program is designed for the fastest possible increase in muscle mass. Usually consists of basic and isolation exercises for the legs with weights, as well as using special machines.

Rules for effective weight training for legs:

• 4 days a week to train, 3 days to rest;
• each workout should be preceded by a warm-up;
• stretching of the leg muscles should be performed between exercises and at the end of the workout;
• aerobic activity should be minimal;
• each exercise should be performed slowly, feeling how the muscles being worked out are tense;
• the respite between exercises should be no more than 3 minutes, between sets 2 minutes;
• weight training should be as short as possible, long sessions are not advisable during muscle growth;
• take at least 8 hours to sleep.

It will be useful for you to learn also about on our website.

Important! For maximum results, in addition to hard training, it is necessary to adhere to an appropriate diet that promotes muscle gain. Pre-workout and post-workout meals are a must.

this exercise is isolating, which indicates its narrow focus. It allows you to effectively work out the back of the thigh, indirectly using the calves. This muscle is also called the hamstring.

legs in the gym

By doing the best leg exercises in the gym, you can quickly build lean legs for men and thereby improve your body proportions.

When performing basic exercises, almost all muscle groups of the legs are involved to one degree or another. They are very energy-consuming, allow you to lose weight, strengthen and build muscle mass, as well as become stronger and more enduring. You should not overload yourself with heavy dumbbells and barbells. Learn to do the exercises correctly first. Violation of the technique can lead to injury to the joints or spine.

Basic basic leg exercises in the gym:

• squats;
• lunges;
• leg press;
• deadlift.

In the case of isolation exercises, the load is aimed at working out certain muscles in the legs. In combination with basic exercises, they allow you to shape and give relief to individual muscle bundles.

Important! Isolation exercises help to effectively stretch the leg muscles, thoroughly warm them up and prepare them for heavy loads.

A set of isolating exercises for leg muscles:

• extension / flexion of the legs;
• adduction / abduction of the legs;
• lifting toes;
• swing your legs.

Squats

Despite the ease of implementation, squats can achieve impressive results. It is recommended to include squats with body weight, dumbbells or a barbell in the workout, as well as in a special simulator (hack machine).

Barbell squats are aimed at. In this case, the muscles of the back and the press also receive a certain static load. The main thing is to choose the optimal weight and carefully read the technique.

It is permissible to keep the barbell on your shoulders or in front of you on your chest during squats. Instead of a barbell, you can use dumbbells. They are held in the hands on the sides along the body. When squatting in a narrow stance, the legs are approximately shoulder-width apart. Squats with legs wide apart work out the inner leg muscles more intensely.

During squats, the back is kept straight, the gaze is turned forward. In order not to tear the heels off the floor, it is permissible to slightly tilt the body forward. The bent knees should not protrude beyond the line of the toes. Without stopping at the bottom point, they return to their original position with a springy movement.

Hack squats work primarily on the quads of the legs. A sufficiently high level of training is required for training on this simulator.

Having adjusted the simulator to your parameters, press your back against the inclined movable platform. Rest your shoulders on special pillows, feet together or shoulder-width apart. Without lifting your heels from the platform, sit down. The hip line at the bent knee should be parallel to the surface of the footrest.

Resting their shoulders on the pillows, they fully straighten at the knee and hip joints. The back is kept straight, the shoulders are not rounded, the chest should be straightened.

Lunges

When performing lunges with the leg forward, backward or to the side, the muscles of the buttocks are mainly loaded. For weight, it is more convenient to use dumbbells, it is more difficult to maintain balance with a barbell.

You can increase the effectiveness of the exercise by increasing the range of motion. To do this, place the front leg on a platform about 15 cm high.

Tip: The back leg is always kept on the toe. In order not to injure the knee joint, during a lunge, the bent knee should not go beyond the line of the toes.

Leg press

The leg press is performed on a lying machine. Having slightly apart the bent legs on the platform, and tightly pressing with their backs, they squeeze the movable platform with their feet to the end, taking a breath. Then they slowly lower it, bending their knees and exhaling. By adjusting the position of the legs on the platform, you can distribute the load on certain leg muscles.

Deadlift

The deadlift is one of the best leg workouts, using the muscles on both sides of the spinal line.

Standing in front of the barbell, tilt the body forward, moving the pelvis back and bending the lower back. Keep the legs straight. They take the bar in their hands with an upper grip, take a deep breath and, moving the pelvis forward, straighten the body. Breathe out the air. Repeating the movement, the bar is not released from the hands.

Important! After completing the entire set of exercises, it is necessary to restore the flexibility and elasticity of the working muscles. Stretching your legs after exercise stimulates muscle recovery and helps reduce pain.

Often, athletes pump their quads diligently, paying little attention to training the hamstrings. But they perform important functions of bending the legs in the knee joint and stabilizing it. In addition, unevenly pumped legs look disproportionate. A set of narrowly targeted exercises will help you effectively pump your hamstrings in the gym and achieve impressive results.

Training principles to reduce leg muscles

After a significant gain in mass due to muscle hypertrophy, it may be necessary to lose excess muscle mass and increase the relief of the leg muscles. First of all, you should reduce the amount of protein supplied with food. The diet should be low in calories.

To quickly reduce the muscles on the legs, workouts for the legs for relief are great. Their peculiarity lies in the use of medium or light loads, as well as performing a large number of repetitions. Fat burning training is done with more sets than strength training.

Read also the article about on our website.

Advice! You can start a workout to reduce leg muscles by jogging, cycling, or jumping rope. Then you can do squats, leg extension / flexion, leg press (4-5 sets of 15-20 reps).

During exercise to reduce the muscles of the legs, the emphasis is on aerobic exercise aimed at creating a negative energy balance in the body. In this case, it is not the load that is important, but the intensity and duration of the classes. The duration of the workout should be at least 30-40 minutes.

In everyday life, the legs are most stressed. This must be taken into account in the process of sports activities and due attention should be paid to training the muscles of the legs. A complete training program should include both basic and isolation exercises to evenly work out all the muscles in the legs.

To achieve the desired result, the systematic and regular exercise is important. Having agreed on the list of exercises, having determined the duration and frequency of training, it is necessary to strictly adhere to the schedule and intensity of training.